Commoner

A rugged farmer toils the land, wiping the sweat of his brow as harvests his fields – he works from dawn to dusk, a basket of corn over his back. A hardy peddler travels the road, selling pots and pans through small village for pittance. An overworked clerk sits over a desk, chewing the end of her quill as she feverishly works through a pile of letters.

It ain’t much, but it's honest work. Commoners have never had any sort of special learning, but they make do through grit, long hours and hard work. They’ve earned what little they have. They work hard, they do their jobs – no one ever taught them how to swing a battleaxe or throw magic bolts around.

But even so, even commoners sometimes have adventures of their own. Because why should those arrogant knights and snotty wizards get to hog the limelight all the time?

Just a Simple Fellow

From 1st level, you gain appreciation of the struggles of the common man. People look at you and they recognize you as a steady, down-to-earth person – they call tell by the dirt under your fingernails or the weary gaze in your eyes. This has the following effects, dependent on who you are interacting with:

• You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) rolls made when interacting with everyday workers. Common folk look out for each other; bartenders become more likely to share scandalous gossip with you, farmers are more likely to shelter you in their homes for a night, and common townsfolk are more likely to warn you when trouble is afoot.
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) rolls made towards any merchants or swindlers who may be trying to take advantage of your hard-earned money.
• You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) rolls made when you are attempting to convince any sort of authority that you didn't do something. Arrogant nobility is biased to assume that all common people are lazy and unremarkable, and they will naturally disbelieve you if you claim any great accomplishment.

In addition, you understand 'trader talk' – a heavy mix of dialect and jargon that is popular among tradesmen and travelers. Trader talk sounds very rough and uses a great deal of obscure slang (often referring to mundane objects through weird names) which allows traders to recognize and communicate exclusively between themselves. It varies greatly depending on location and dialect, but commoners know how to translate heavily-accented voices and you can decipher any profession-specific slang.

Merchants will often treat anybody who understands trader talk differently; unscrupulous merchants that might otherwise attempt to take advantage will do not do so, while other tradesmen may even offer favors or advice.

Use What You Got

From 1st level, you are proficient with improvised weapons. Specifically, you can use your artisan’s tools as makeshift melee weapons, and you add your expertise bonus when making attack rolls with them. They deal 1d4 of whatever damage type is appropriate for them.

Skin Of Your Teeth

Adventuring is dangerous work, but you manage to get by. Barely. From 2nd level, whenever an effect or attack would kill or reduce you to 0 hp, you fall prone and survive with 1 hp instead.

Afterwards, any hostile creatures in the area are faced with a Perception check with DC equal to 12 + your proficiency bonus, and on a failed check they will assume that you are dead and move onwards to another target. This effect lasts until you either move or make an action, at which point they will realize that you somehow survived.

You regain use of this feature when you finish a long or short rest.

Helping Hand

At 3rd level, you can use the Help action as a bonus action.

Rough and Ready

When faced with an unfamiliar challenge, you roll your sleeves up and get it done. At 3rd level, you can spend ten minutes practicing using a set of tools and gain a temporary proficiency bonus. This temporary proficiency will last until your next long rest, it doesn't stack with any other, and you can only have one at a time.

This temporary proficiency bonus can be applied towards any tool, mount, or vehicle - so you long as you have an object in hand that you can use to practice. You cannot gain any skill proficiency in this manner.

During this practice period, you may fall several times - for example, if you are practicing at disabling a tripwire to gain proficiency in thieves’ tools then you will likely trigger the trap, or if you practicing at mounting a horse then the horse may buckle. It is at the DM's discretion whether there will be any consequences from mistakes made during this practice period.

At 6th level, this temporary proficiency bonus doubles.

Learn Feat

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th, you can learn one feat of your choice.

Look, I'm Helping!

You may not be the strongest, the toughest, the fastest or the smartest, but you can still assist! At 5th level, when you apply the Help action to aid an ally attacking an enemy in combat, then that ally may add your proficiency bonus to their own attack roll.

If your ally’s attack is successful, then you may also make a single attack targeted at that enemy immediately at the end of your ally’s turn (no reaction required).

Learn it From Others

From 6th level, you realize that you can do it just like the others can. Select an ally that you have known for at least a week, and then copy the following traits from them:

• Gain one skill or tool proficiency that they possess.
• If the ally can cast spells, then you can learn 3 of their cantrips (using the same Spellcasting ability as they use). Otherwise, you gain one armor class proficiency and two weapon proficiencies that they possess.

This feature can be used a maximum of once a week. If you lose contact with that ally, you may keep the traits that you have copied from them indefinitely. If you later wish to copy from a different ally, then their new traits will replace the traits you copied previously.

Close Shave

At 7th level, you’re getting the hang of this now. Whenever an effect or attack would inflict damage more than half your current hp, you can choose to intervene such that it inflicts only half your current hp instead (rounded up).

This feature can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and refreshes when you finish a long rest.

Teamwork Gets it Done

You aren’t the sort to fight alone. By 10th level you’ve learned how to coordinate with others - you are like the glue that holds a group together. At the end of a long rest, you can pick three willing allies and form a team with them. Up until the next long rest, so long as those allies remain within both earshot and line of sight of you and each other, then the team has the following benefits:

• When any member of the team makes an ability check, they may choose to use the relevant ability modifier of another member instead of their own.
• In combat, so long as one member of the team is within 5 foot of an enemy, then all other members of the team may attack that enemy with advantage.
• When you use the Help action to assist in attacking an enemy, then the benefit of your Help action applies equally to all members of your team. If multiple allies hit the target, you may make multiple attacks from your ‘Look, I’m Helping!’ feature.

Can't Believe That Worked!

At 11th level, whenever you score a critical attack against an opponent during an attack action, then you can then make a second action immediately afterwards. In addition, that opponent must pass a Constitution saving throw of DC 14 + your proficiency bonus, or become stunned until its next turn. This can only apply once per round of combat.

Watch Out For That

By 13th level, others in your party look to you for the prompt on when to run. You can apply your ‘Close Shave’ feature to all others within your team.

When you or a team member within your line of sight suffers an effect or attack would inflict damage more than half of their current hp, then you can choose to intervene such that it inflicts only half of their current hp instead (rounded up).

This replaces your ‘Close Shave’ feature. This feature can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and refreshes when you finish a long or short rest.

Look At Us Go!

At 15th level, your 'Can't Believe That Worked!' feature applies to all members of your current team. Whenever any team member scores a critical attack against an opponent during an attack action, then that team member may then take an additional action immediately afterwards. In addition, that opponent must pass a Constitution saving throw of DC 14 + your proficiency bonus, or become stunned until its next turn. This can only apply once per person per round of combat.

Learned It From The Best

At 17th level, you realize that this hero'ing stuff ain't so hard! Select an ally of an equivalent or lower level that you have known for at least a week, and then copy the following traits from them:

• Raise any one of your ability scores (except for Constitution) to match theirs.
• Gain expertise in one skill or tool that they possess.

This feature can be used a maximum of once a week. If you lose contact with that ally, you may keep the traits that you have copied from them indefinitely. If you later wish to copy from a different ally, then their new traits will replace the traits you copied previously.

Put to Good Use

At 18th level, your chosen artisan tools receive an additional +3 bonus to all attack and damage rolls made with them.

Learn It From Me

At 20th level, man, you've got this. You're an inspiration to them all. You can share the benefits of two feats that you know with all members of your current team.

 

Livelihood

Commoners work many different jobs, and take different approaches to life. Your livelihood determines your job, your experiences, and forms a major part of your character.

Your Livelihood grant additional class features at 1st, 5th, 9th and 14th level.

Farmer

A farmer – could there be any more noble of a profession? Well, yes, probably – but, even so, those people would all starve if you didn’t do what you do. Farmers are hardy folk. They work the fields, you herd livestock, they do all of the dirty, back-breaking work just so others can eat. That type labor builds muscle, and responsibility.

Farmers tackle their problems head-on, and they look after their fellows.

Skills of the Field

From 1st level, you gain the following:

• Skill proficiency in two of: either Survival, Nature or Animal Handing. If you already have proficiency, gain expertise.
• Tool proficiency with herbalism kit. If you already have this tool proficiency, pick another of your choice.
• Proficiency with Strength saving throws.

Note: This feature applies only if commoner is your first class (i.e. you do not gain this feature if you choose farmer as a multiclass)

Long Hours, Heavy Work

From 1st level, you are accustomed to moving heavy loads. You count as one size larger when it comes to determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag.

In addition, you can use an action to remove a single point of an exhaustion. You regain use of this feature when you finish a long rest.

Farmer's Grit

At 5th level, whether you’re up against a stubborn bull or ploughing tough earth, you know how to grit your teeth and force your way through. As a bonus action, you can receive the following benefits:

• You gain resistance to slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing damage.
• You gain advantage on all attempts made to grapple.
• You gain temporary hit points equal to your Commoner level.
• You gain a bonus to your base Strength modifier equal to your Constitution modifier.

These effect ends after a duration of ten minutes. You regain use of this feature when you finish a long or short rest.

Homecooked Grub

A good meal braces you for the day. At level 9, during a short rest you can use ingredients of the earth to cook a hale and hearty meal for you and your companions. Yourself and up to ten companions gain temporary hit points equal to 2d6 plus your Commoner level. After you use this feature you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

At levels 13 and 17, the temporary hit points provided increases to 4d6 and 6d6 respectively.

All Together Now

At 14th level, you weather any hardships side by side with your fellow farmhands. When you use your ‘Farmer’s Grit’ ability, then your whole team receives the benefits as listed.

Merchant

You are a merchant at heart. This whole adventuring business is a neat side hustle, but a merchant’s true purpose is to buy, sell and make a profit. Merchants are clever and persuasive, they survive by bartering with others, finding the right goods for the job, and – most importantly – by earning money.

Merchants look out for their companions from the back lines. They provide money and goods to keep the party going.

Company Trading

By 14th level, you’ve learnt how to work as part of a team in more ways than just combat. When you are part of a team, there are the following benefits:

• Downtime activities become twice as productive for each member when done so as a group.
• You receive a 25% discount to all goods bought from merchants when the team purchases them together.
• Once each day, any member of the team can give a magic item to another member of the team, and the magic item will attune instantly to its new wearer. This can occur once per person per long rest.

Clerk

Clerks may appear humble and unassuming, but they are not to be underestimated. A clerk may work as a teller in a bank, or as a lord’s scribe, or as a receptionist in an adventurer’s guild – but the purpose is the same. They run the ship. They deal with people, paperwork and more paperwork. The clerks see everything that ever happens more clearly than the people in charge, and nothing gets done unless the clerk does it.

Clerks prefer to apply their mind rather than might. They learn fast, and bring lots of useful little skills to the party.

Arcane Receptionist

By 9th level, you’re practically a mage yourself! You instantly acquire two ritual spells from any spell list, of any level up to 4th.

At 13th level, you acquire an additional two ritual spells of any level up to 5th. At 17th level, you acquire an additional two ritual spells of any level up to 6th.

You can also now share your spell book with other spellcasters, and likewise you can read from your allies’ spell books if they have one. You can only cast ritual spells through the Commoner class, but any other spellcasters may expend one of their own spell slots to cast a spell from your book (even if the spell in question is not on their list) so long as you are standing beside them and performing the Help action.

In addition, the time required for you to cast ritual spells is halved.

Master Scribe

At 14th level, you apply your keen knowledge to assist your team. Whenever a member of your team casts a spell and you use the Help action, they can receive the following benefits:

• You can take over a verbal or somatic component of the spell; if required, you perform the actions on their behalf as they cast the spell.
• Your contribution reinforces the spell. As they are casting, you can choose to increase the spell level of your ally’s spell by a single level (to a maximum of 9th level). This can be done a number of times equal to twice your Intelligence modifier, and you regain all uses when you finish a long rest.

Vagabond

The life of a vagabond is a rough one. Vagabonds are homeless, constantly on the move, and always restless. Guardsmen will often chase vagabibds out of town, or monsters might ambush them on the road - yet vagabonds are survivors. Sometimes they take on odd jobs, sometimes they will beg on corners, and sometimes they will even resort to crime - but they will do whatever it takes.

Vagabonds are self-reliant, and look out for themselves above all others.

Go For The Other Guy

The best thing about being a part of a team is that the other people can serve as distractions. At level 14, you gain the ability to divert an opponent’s attention away from yourself and to somebody else. When you are being targeted by a specific enemy, you can use your action to roll a d4:

• On a 1, the enemy will continue to target you.
• On any other result, the enemy will ignore you and move to target a different, randomly selected member of your team.

On its next turn, that enemy must target the team member as chosen by the d4 roll. In any later rounds, the enemy may resume attacking whomever it chooses.

You regain use of this feature when you finish a long or short rest.